Remember the days when you had to stand in your kitchen to talk on the phone? My phone cord was always stretched out and tangled because I’m a pacer when I talk. Now I can walk and talk anywhere I want to, though sometimes I have to stop walking and stand still because I can barely make out the person on the other end. So much for being a pacer!
I love technology and I thrive on change. I do, however, fall into the old-fashioned category when it comes to healthcare and, especially, rehabilitation. Emerson’s Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Therapies Concord facility is moving to a new location. The new, expanded facility has designated therapy areas – a therapy pool with a treadmill in it, a gym specifically designed for children, speech language pathology and occupational therapy suites and treatment areas. The new center is outstanding both in design and the scope of services that will be provided to our community.
I gave a tour the other day and was asked, “What new state-of-the-art equipment has been added to the facility?” I had to think about that for a moment. I thought, “Well, we have a very neat pool that we will be able to employ the buoyancy of water for mobility and the resistance provided by water for strength and endurance. The pool will allow people who are mobility impaired to move freely in the water and have a sense of independence and general well-being. That is very cool!”
Our pediatric gym is all tricked out with suspension equipment, swings, tubes and mats. There is a fun activity panel with fiber optics for kids who have visual impairments, as well as many tactile objects for those with sensory problems. So much fun in one room!
What about our neurological gym? Now this is something special. We have a Dynavision, which will help patients improve peripheral visual awareness, visual attention and anticipation. The Dynavision will also help athletes with visual motor reaction time. Better reaction can lead to better performance and reduce the athlete’s risk of injury.
And the soundproof speech language pathology suite is designed to enhance the treatment environment for children and adults. Children with feeding and swallowing difficulties, language delays, and autism will have specific suites for one-on-one treatments. Adults with neurological diagnoses such as Parkinson’s, head and neck cancer patients with swallowing difficulties, and professional singers and actors seeking voice therapy will have access to treatment suites, testing, and treatment materials that will improve their quality of life.
As all of these things were swirling through my mind, I soon realized I could only come up with one response. “We don’t have any new state-of-the-art equipment”. While our tools and equipment are new and extremely sophisticated, what is truly “state-of-the-art” here is, like my old telephone’s land line, residing within the walls of Emerson’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies – the staff!
Come and get in the pool with that busted up knee. While the pool is going to help, the professional is going to help get you better!
Come explore our pediatric gym with our pediatric specialists whose play-based treatments engage children in fun ways.
Walk into our neurological gym, where the caring clinicians understand your needs.
Talk to our speech pathologists, who will help you verbalize your thoughts.
You can have all the gadgets and equipment you want, but if you don’t have the staff with the clinical expertise, skills, and knowledge base, that equipment will not do the patient any good. Emerson’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies has state-of-the-art staff.
The new Clough Family Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies will be located at 310 Baker Avenue in Concord, Massachusetts.